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SPORTS
Good
form
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Photos by TIM MANDELL
The White Sox played last week in Little League action. Above,
starting pitcher Andrew Giles fires a pitch to the plate. At left,
shortstop Travis Hearne prepares to throw to first. Below, Collin
Beckham slides into home.
Bluegrass
State Games approaching
Having
a ball
Sports
Briefs
On
the sidelines
It’s already time to suit up for
fall sports
TIM
MANDELL
Summer has come to an
end for high school athletes, cut short midway through July.
It seems the school year just ended — Lexington Catholic
was crowned state baseball champion on June 17 in the final sports
competition of the 2005-06 school year — but already athletes
are being called back to the playing fields with July 15 being
the first official day to begin practice for fall sports.
At the middle school level, Maurice Bowling Middle School begins
football practice on Monday.
It requires discipline and sacrifice to play sports — especially
the ones that take place in the fall — which I guess is
why I never took the leap to the next level and went from a mediocre
or fairly good athlete to being a good or great athlete.
I wasn’t about to give up my summers to sweat through long
practices in the July heat, especially two-a-day football practices.
I’ve never been that dedicated to athletics, which is fine.
That’s why we have recreational leagues.
Those of us just looking to have fun can play in the recreational
leagues.
But once you hit the high school level, or perhaps, even the middle
school level, athletics become much more competitive, which they
should be.
For some sports, you have to try out, which means some people
end up getting cut.
If you make your high school team, you’re part of a small
percentage of students representing your school against every
other school in the state.
A limited number of students get to suit up for the team, an even
smaller number are picked to start, and a much smaller number
acquire the prime positions.
Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair, but joining — or trying
out for —your high school team might be a teenagers first
experience in the real world.
On the playing fields you won’t always get what you want,
you won’t always feel you’re being treated fairly,
and you won’t always think you’re being given a chance.
It’s just like having a job.
At work, you might feel underpaid, unappreciated and overworked,
and you might not always like or agree with your co-workers or
bosses or feel they contribute as much as you do.
But that’s the way it goes.
Life, like sports, isn’t always fair, but to succeed in
both, you have to keep working hard and take advantage of your
opportunities when you get the chance.
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